Category: General Technology

I got a new computer at work last week. Before that happened I backed up my documents and configuration files. I also made a list of my installed applications to be reinstalled on my new system. I thought I’d post the list to show what’s in the computer toolkit of a typical Electronic Services Librarian.

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016

The standard office suite of programs. We just got access to Office 2016 so I am testing it with our ILS (Voyager) and learning its new features to help staff when they upgrade. I’ll also look for any new integration features with SharePoint.

Adobe Master Collection CS6

From this suite, Dreamweaver and Photoshop get used on a regular basis. The main library website uses a content management system, but we still have some standalone sites that are built using individual HTML pages. Dreamweaver is useful for those. Photoshop is used on an almost daily basis to edit photos, graphics for the website and social media, screenshots for instruction, library signs, and more.

Adobe Acrobat X Pro

Acrobat Acrobat Pro is used to create, edit, and convert documents to PDF. Most of the documents we upload to our institutional repository and staff intranet are in PDF form, so this tool is essential.

Notepad++

Sure, you can edit code in Microsoft Notepad, but I prefer Notepad++ for its added benefits. Features include color-coded text based on syntax, collapsible code sections, code autocomplete, enhanced find and replace, and multiple files in tabs (with file history memory).

Snagit

Snagit allows you to take screenshots and capture video, then mark them up with highlighting, boxes, arrows, speech bubbles, etc. This program is really useful for creating tutorials on using a website or piece of software.

WinSCP

WinSCP is a free FTP program. I use WinSCP to transfer files to various webservers, download export files from our ILS, and upload bibliographic and holdings record files to vendors. It also features a built in PuTTY terminal function to connect to and execute SSH commands on remote servers.

Prish Image Resizer

This simple utility installs to Windows 7 and can batch resize photos right in Windows Explorer. Select photo(s), right-click and select Prish Resizer. The app gives a few options for photo size and location to place the resized files. A similar feature with fewer options is included in Windows 8 and Windows 10.

Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is a free anti-malware program that is easy to down and install. I run it periodically on my own computer, but also use it to find and clean up suspected malware on other staff computers. It one of the utilities I keep on my USB drive when helping staff troubleshoot and fix issues with their computers.

You may have heard of Slack, perhaps mentioned on social media, but unless you’re a technical librarian, you’re probably not using it. Yet. There currently are just a few librarian communities on Slack but it seems to be a welcome alternative to social media groups for the technical savvy librarians.

Slack was created to allow private teams to collaborate. So you won’t find an index or search engine on the Slack website to find teams. However, many coder communities have sprung up which are more open in nature. You can use third-party sites to find them. We will maintain a list of them as they are created.

LibTech

The LibTech Slack site is brand new! It is less technical than code4lib and broader than LibUX, covering all library technology topics. If you want to learn what Slack is about, come join this group as a founding member. Help us reach critical mass and suggest some appropriate channels.

Throughout your professional library reading, you will occasionally come across esoteric library technology acronyms. It’s annoying to have to stop reading to look up their meanings. To help prevent that, we present our list of more common library technology acronyms.

My new friend and professional library colleague, Sara Gonzales, has a new book out today on 3D printers in libraries (see below), so it seemed like a good time to list some of the best books, papers, and resources on the topic.

Books

Here is a selection of the best up-to-date books to learn about deploying 3D printers in your library.

3-D Printers for Libraries by Jason Griffey

This title is actually an issue of Library Technology Reports from ALA Tech Source. The report covers how 3D printers work, common terminology, types of plastic, prices and specifications for printers, and staff skill requirements. Published in 2014.

3D Printing: A Powerful New Curriculum Tool for Your School Library by Lesley M. Cano

Part of the “Tech Tools for Learning” series. This book is aimed at the K-12 school librarian. “Written in non-technical language, the book introduces the technology, shows how to get started, and offers ideas for creating project-based learning models.” Published in 2015.

This title is the newest volume (#22) in the “Practical Guides for Librarians” series. The comprehensive book covers everything from writing the original proposal to selecting printers, addressing staffing issues, developing policies, and more. Published in 2016.

Papers

Progress in the Making: An Introduction to 3D Printing and Public Policy by American Library Association

The first report from the American Library Association in the “Progress in the Making” series covering 3D printers and legal liability and concerns for library professionals. Published in September 2014.

Progress in the Making: 3D Printing Policy Considerations through the Library Lens by Charlie Wapner

In this second report in the “Progress in the Making” series from the American Library Association, Wapner urges librarians to develop policies to “address the social, technological and political complexities that result from the rise of 3D printing.” Published in January 2015.

CSS – HTML – JavaScript

This post contains content from a presentation I did with Cheryl Wolfe, Web Services Administrator, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library titled Code For Every Librarian at the Florida Library Association Conference 2016.

HTML

Hypertext Markup Language

Turn text into images, links, and more

Use to build webpages and Web content

HTML Examples

Text

<b>Bold</b> also <strong>Bold</strong>
<i>Italics</i> also <em>Italics</em>

<h1>Heading 1</h1>

<p>Paragraph text with full break.</p>
<br> or <br /> for a line break.

External JavaScript

Helpful Tips

How To Use a Browser’s Inspect Feature

You can examine a webpage’s code and content and experiment making changes right in your browser. Right-click on a webpage and select “Inspect” in Chrome, Edge, and Internet Explorer, or “Inspect Element” in Firefox.

Useful Code Editing Tools

Notepad++ is useful for editing code. It makes reading code easier by color-coding different parts of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It also allows you to view code groupings and collapse sections of code.